O Brasil possui 58 meteoritos catalogados pela ciência meteorítica, número bastante inferior quando se compara tal número àqueles de países da Europa e aos de países como os Estados Unidos. As amostras estudadas pertencem à coleção de meteoritos do Museu de Mineralogia Professor Djalma Guimarães -MMPDG, constituída de 17 meteoritos, 10 brasileiros, entre eles o Bocaiúva e o João Pinheiro. O meteorito Bocaiúva, encontrado em MG, é o terceiro maior em peso do Estado (64kg), foi achado por volta de 1947, na cidade homônima, a 384km de Belo Horizonte. Além da massa principal do meteorito Bocaiúva, também há, no referido museu outro fragmento catalogado como "meteorito Bocaiúva", que, na verdade, é um fragmento pertencente a outro corpo meteorítico, o João Pinheiro, ainda não catalogado. A diferença mineralógica observada em ambos, principalmente com relação às porções silicáticas do Bocaiúva, assim como inclusões fluidas e fundidas, não deixa dúvida de se tratar de meteoritos diferentes. Minerais como kamacita, taenita, troilita, schreibersita e grafita são encontrados no meteorito João Pinheiro, enquanto que, no Bocaiúva, estão presentes a forsterita, kamacita, taenita, troilita, schreibersita, pentlandita, magnetita, cromita, pigeonita, diopsídio, enstatita, plagioclásios, apatita, calcita e goethita.

Brazil has 58 cataloged meteorites for scientific studies; a low number compared to countries in Europe and the United States. The samples studied belong to a collection of 17 meteorites from the Mineralogy Museum Professor Djalma Guimarães - MMPDG in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais. Ten of those meteorites were found in Brazil; among them are the Bocaiúva and João Pinheiro meteorites. The Bocaiúva meteorite, the third heaviest (64kg), was found around 1947 in the town of Bocaiúva, located 384km from Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais. Besides the Bocaiúva meteorite, there is also, in the MMPDG, another fragment cataloged as "Bocaiúva meteorite", which is actually a fragment from a different meteoritic body, called João Pinheiro, yet to be cataloged. The mineralogical differences, especially regarding the silicate portions of the Bocaiúva, as well as fluid and melted inclusions, leave no doubt that they belong to different meteorites. Minerals such as kamacite, taenita, troilite, schreibersita and graphite are found in the João Pinheiro meteorite, while in Bocaiúva are present forsterite, kamacite, taenita, troilite, schreibersite, pentlandita, magnetite, chromite, pigeonite, diopside, enstatite, plagioclase, apatite, calcite and goethite.

Mineral characterization consisted on the study of 458diamond samples representative of gem-grade and industrialgrade varieties,obtained from alluvial (placer) diamond exploration located in the Icabaru and Uaiparu Rivers, Santa Elena de Uairén. Mineral analyseswere predominantly focused on physical properties and average weight (0.2 and 1.0ct). Optical microscopy was used to study surface sections of diamonds andmorphological characterization which resulted in the following. In relation tocolor, distribution percentages were colorless (37%), yellow (20.5%), brown(19%), green (9,5%), black (3%), green lattice points (7.5%), and brown latticepoints (3.5%). Also, a polycrystalline variety known as carbonado, orblack diamond, was studied. Some surface shapes such as trigons, quadrilateral,block and film growth, groove and hillocks were determined through ScanningElectron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer technique (EDS).Morphological evolution could be established from the octahedral primitivethrough dissolution phenomena for (111)+(110), (111)+{hkl} facets having rhombicdodecahedron {hkl} and hexaoctahedron {110} habits. Chemical composition datawere collected through Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (FTIR), and diamondtypes were determined Ib with low nitrogen concentration, IaA, IaB and IaAbdiamonds with high, average and low nitrogen concentration and IIa diamondswith no nitrogen concentration. Inclusions of olivine, ilmenite and garnet onthe crystal surface were detected by micro-Raman spectroscopy.

La caracterizaciónmineralógica consistió en el estudio de 458 cristales de diamantes entre lasvariedades gemológica e industrial, provenientes de la región de Santa Elena deUairén, específicamente de los placeres aluvionales localizados en los ríosIcabarú y Uaiparú. En este trabajo se realizaron análisis mineralógicos dondelas muestras fueron estudiadas a partir de las propiedades físicas, el pesopromedio de los cristales fue entre 0,2 y 1,0 quilates. Utilizando análisis demicroscopia óptica se estudiaron las secciones superficiales, permitiendo lacaracterización morfológica. En relación al color los porcentajes dedistribución son de 37% incoloros, 20,5% amarillos, 19% marrones, 9,5% verdes,3% negros, 7,5% con capas verdes y 3,5% capas castañas, también se consiguiódiferenciar la variedad policristalina de aspecto negruzco, denominadacarbonado. A partir de análisis de microscopía electrónica de barrido, aplicandola técnica Espectroscopía de Energía Dispersiva (EDS) se consiguió reconocerfiguras superficiales como trigons, cuadrons, crecimiento enbloque, crecimiento laminar, estrías, surcos y colinas que permitieronestablecer la evolución morfológica, partiendo del octaedro primitivo y pasandopor fenómenos de disolución originando formas transicionales (111)+(110),(111)+{hkl}, proporcionando hábitos rombododecaedricos {110} y hexaoctaedricos{hkl}. Con análisis de espectroscopía de absorción en el infrarrojo (FTIR) seobtuvieron datos de la composición química que permitieron determinar los tiposde diamante Ib, IaA, IaB , IaAB y IIa. Mediante espectroscopía micro- Raman seidentificaron inclusiones de olivino, ilmenita y granada, posicionadassuperficialmente en los cristales.

The occurrences of imperial topaz in the Antonio Pereira mine, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, are associated with the metamorphic carbonate rocks of the Minas Supergroup. The crystals have densities varying from 3.46 to 3.58. The parameters of the unitary cells obtained were: 4.658 to 4.663Å (a o), 8.823 to 8.832Å (b o), 8.382 to 8.389Å (c o), and 344.65 to 345.46Å3 (V). The refraction indices presented the following variations: 1.622 to 1.630 (nX), 1.624 to 1.632 (nY), 1.633 to 1.640 (nZ), and 0.008 to 0.011 (B). These properties are coherent with the low fluorine contents obtained (16,48%/17,05wt%). infrared spectroscopy and microthermometry showed that the fluid inclusions, which represent the mineralizing fluids, are formed by H2O (with Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+), and CO2 ± CH4. The minimal trapping T-P conditions of 290/320°C and 2,349/2,497bar were obtained for the primary fluid inclusions. The pseudo-secondary fluid inclusions were trapped at conditions of lower temperatures and variable pressures, during the deformation process under local alternating states of stress. The microthermometric studies, the structural analysis and the fluorine contents suggest that the mineralized veins were formed from hydrothermal fluids originated during the Brasiliano tectono-metamorphic event.

Las ocurrencias de topacio imperial de la mina de Antônio Pereira, Ouro Preto, MG, están asociadas a rocas carbonáticas metamórficas del Supergrupo Minas. La densidad del topacio varió desde 3,46 hasta 3,58. Los parámetros de celda unitaria son: 4,658 a 4,663Å (a o), 8,823 a 8,832Å (b o), 8,382 a 8,389Å (c o) y 344,65 a 345,46ų (V). Los índices de refracción son: 1,622 a 1,630 (nX), 1,624 a 1,632 (nY), 1,633 a 1,640 (nZ) y 0,008 a 0,011 (B). Esas propiedades están coherentes con los bajos tenores de flúor obtenidos (16,48%/17,05% en peso). La espectroscopia en el infrarrojo y la microtermometría mostraron que las inclusiones fluidas representativas de los fluidos mineralizantes son formadas por H2O (con Ca2+, Mg2+ y Na+) y CO2 ± CH4. Las condiciones mínimas de atrapamiento de las inclusiones primarias fueron de 290/320oC y 2.349/2.497bar. Las inclusiones pseudosecundarias fueron aprisionadas en menores temperaturas, con presiones variables,, sugiriendo atrapamiento durante procesos de deformación que presentan alternancia local en las condiciones de compresión. La microtermometria conjuntamente con los análisis estructurales y los tenores de flúor indicaron que las vetas con topacio fueron formadas a partir de fluidos hidrotermales originados durante el evento tectónico-metamórfico de edad Brasiliana.